I see music as an aid. It overcomes my internal editor, especially when the music evokes the character or the mood I'm trying to build.

- Jeff Vandermeer

History has shown us all too often the consequences of dreaming poorly or not at all.

- Jeff Vandermeer

I always try to be alert to the potential for repetition, for a decaying orbit with regard to my use of technique, etc.

- Jeff Vandermeer

Film fixes a precise visual image in the viewer's head. In fiction, you just hope you're precise enough to convey the intended effect.

- Jeff Vandermeer

I do believe very much in the idea of unexpected or 'convulsive' beauty - beauty in the service of liberty.

- Jeff Vandermeer

I have always tended toward a lush prose style, but I take care to modulate it from story to story and to strip it down entirely when necessary.

- Jeff Vandermeer

So many differing opinions and philosophies... are rarely housed under the roof of a single magazine.

- Jeff Vandermeer

The music I listen to while writing is really scene-specific. It's just a great motivator, a way to put myself in the mood.

- Jeff Vandermeer

There's also a lot of gritty Americana type of bands. I actually have a lot of Britpop on my iPod, too.

- Jeff Vandermeer

My mother is an artist, and I have a strong visual sense. I almost always choose the cover art for my books. I've learned that the more I collaborate, like by having someone do a soundtrack to one of my books, the more I see my own work differently.

- Jeff Vandermeer